Viagra Dosage Guide: How to Take Sildenafil
Erectile dysfunction has two opposite sides related to proper treatment. On the one hand, you can easily choose and buy the right drug. On the other hand, a lack of knowledge about the medicine can adversely affect your health. The correct choice of Viagra dosage is an important component of effective and safe therapy.
VIAGRA Dosage
Viagra comes in three traditional tablet strengths (25, 50, and 100mg). They differ exclusively in the dosage of the active substance. A complex chemical compound sildenafil citrate is at the heart of Viagra. It is classified as a PDE5 inhibitor, which enhances the relaxing effect of nitric oxide on the smooth muscles of the corpora cavernosa and increases blood flow in the penis.
Viagra dosage is simple for realization. Tablets are labeled by the amount of active substance in them. There are options with VGR 100, VGR 50 and VGR 50 markings.
In terms of chemistry, the dosage of the active substance does not alter the nature of the effect in male persons. Notwithstanding that 25-mg pill works equally to a 100-mg one, there are dissimilarities between the different dosage options.
Read our complete guidance: Viagra Dosage: Which One Should You Take?
Viagra 25 mg
This is the most modest dose that can give the desired result. Doctors usually recommend this quantity to ED sufferers who take specific medications with interaction potential. These can be high BP drugs, HIV therapy remedies (Lopinavir/ritonavir), any other drugs that can increase the concentration of sildenafil.
The minimum concentration of the drug means the slightest risks of side effects. Concerns and fears regarding negative consequences of taking Viagra or an unfortunate experience with higher dosages may be the reason to try this dosage.
Viagra 50 mg
This is a classic variant to improve an erection. Men most often learn about the properties of Viagra thanks to this option. Usually, healthcare experts and scientists recommend 50 mg, because this is an important benchmark for subsequent adjustment of treatment. According to a study published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, 50mg is adapted according to efficacy and tolerability.
In case of unsuccessful therapy, you can switch to more potent or more mild treatment.
Viagra 100 mg
This is the maximum amount of sildenafil that is available for common therapeutic consumption. Erectile dysfunction symptoms are nonidentical in different men. Some patients suffer from complete erectional failure, while others have weak or short-term erection. In severe occasions, only peak dosage can provide a desired effect. Doctors do not recommend starting therapy with 100 mg. This is an acceptable option, but only for those who don’t prone to side effects, don’t have serios cardiac disorders and do not feel improvement from lower sildenafil amounts.
How Often Can you Take Sildenafil?
If you want to develop a satisfying sexual life, timing is a pretty important thing. You need to follow instructions wholeheartedly. Sildenafil has a precise window of effectiveness. People are also wondering about optimum frequencies of its intake. So how often can you take sildenafil?
Optimal Frequency of Taking Sildenafil
There is the only indicating in the official instructions re frequentness of sildenafil intake: one pill per day (desirably per a 24-hour period). It should not be consumed more than once per day. The pill should be taken 30-60 min prior to sex. However, you can take it up to 4 hours before sex, as it lasts up to 6 hours. Just keep in mind that maximum concentration of the active substance in the blood (and hence the best efficaciousness) is effectuated within a median time of 1 hour (0.5—2 h range) after dosing, as reported in pharmacokinetic studies, for instance, the one by I. Eardley et al. (British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2002).
There are no official limits which concern intake of sildenafil per day. However, only a relatively small percentage of patients take this medication every day. It is intended for on-demand intake, i.e. one takes it in expectation of anticipated sexual intercourse. This PDE5 inhibitor acts symptomatically, it doesn’t have stacked effect and doesn’t cure erectile dysfunction. It is just a temporary treatment. You won’t get a delayed effect if you take it ‘in advance’. However, initial dosage doesn’t work properly in some males, and the desired action is achieved only after the second or third intake.
If you need to use ED drug on a daily basis, perhaps sildenafil (Viagra) is not your choice, pay attention to Cialis. Some of the pharmacokinetic properties of Viagra (half-life, relationship with food and alcohol intake) lead to the need for planned sexual intercourse, a decrease in the spontaneity of sexual activity, limits in time and frequency of sexual attempts. Cialis (tadalafil) is devoid of these disadvantages. This low dosage tablet can be safely used on a daily basis.
How Do I Choose a Correct Dosage?
Despite the effectiveness of PDE-5 inhibitors, many patients want to reduce the dosage of drugs that improve erection. The prescribing physician should also be able to titrate the dose based on its effectiveness. Sildenafil is the drug which feature the hugest experience in clinical practice. The effectiveness of sildenafil has been proven in various categories of patients. The usual starting dosage is 50 mg. If this dosage does not work well, your doctor may switch you to 100 mg. 25 mg is intended for non-serious cases of impotence and some categories of patients (for example, those who suffer from serious kidney disease).
A full guide: Viagra Dosage: Which One Should You Use?
Safety Precautions
Sildenafil is a safe substance, there are studies in which it was administered to more than 9 thousand patients. But actually the number of participants of different studies is much higher, because hundreds of specific investigations have been made (regarding efficacy, incidence of adverse events, score of successfulness, contraindications, interactions, etcetera).
The medication can cause adverse events, the most frequent of which include headaches, recurrent migraines, face flushing, nasal congestion, dyspeptic disorders, and altered vision.
Dizziness is possible (though infrequent effect) so it is better to refrain from operating machinery immediately after taking sildenafil-containing pill.
Can You Take 2 Viagra Pills at Once?
Viagra (Sildenafil citrate) medication is very popular among male persons suffering from an erection disorder.
However, sometimes it does not work as it should, and sometimes patients want to get a "double" effect.
They might ask whether it is possible to take two pills at once. Some Important Facts About Viagra (Sildenafil)
| USAGE BY ATHLETES | USAGE FOR FUN |
|---|---|
| Some athletes use the drug to increase endurance in long-lasting or high-intensity workouts, to achieve new results in a gym. This practice is associated with the fact that sildenafil allegedly improves blood flow and muscle pumping. With careful use and proper dosage, some athletes do improve athletic performance. By the way, this category of people may be inclined to use higher dosages of the drug (taking two tablets or more per day). | "Partyers" is another category which is prone to Viagra abusing. |
Increased Dosages of Viagra: Risks and Dangers
In this case, bigger dosages don't mean better effect. “More” can actually mean “worse”, as has been shown by several clinic studies.
The fact is that super high doses of Viagra increase the risk of side effects, such as:
| Drug | OVERDOSE | SYMPTOMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| dizziness | back pain | facial flushing | dyspeptic disorders |
If a man gets these side effects, he is unlikely to want to have sex, or at least the pleasantness of intercourse will be overshadowed by a headache.
Therefore, it is better not to expose your body to pharmaceutical dangers.
Therefore, it is not advised to administer more than 100 milligrams of sildenafil per day.
You already know the two most important facts:
- there are three typical dosages of Viagra;
- you cannot take more than 100 mg (0.1 g) per day.
From this we can conclude that taking two 100-milligram tablets is prohibited. However, theoretically you can take two pills of 25 mg or 50 mg at once.
Keep in mind that for patients suffering from serious renal and hepatic diseases even a dosage of 100 mg may not be allowed.
However, the use of two 25 or two 50 mg tablets at a time might be considered relatively safe, especially if you do not have other serious diseases (heart, kidney, liver, etc.).
Viagra Overdose
All dosages are designed for a single use before sexual intercourse. If the minimum dosage doesn’t provide improvements, dosage increment is allowable not earlier than next day. If 100mg is ineffective too, probably you need an alternative treatment. Studies have shown that administration of 200 mg doesn’t affect Viagra efficiency. Such experiments are associated with incremented risk of various side effects (dizziness, headache, visual impairment).
Studies focused on overdose have been carried out with the use of up to 800 mg of sildenafil taken in one fell swoop. The results are comparable to smaller overdoses: no effect improvement effect compared to 100mg and a several-fold increase in side effects’ incidence.
Obviously, the manufacturer released 25, 50 and 100 mg options not by chance. These concentrations ensure acceptable balance between a positive effect and probable health risks.
What is the Right Dose For Me?
This question can be properly answered by a doctor only. This is the most reliable way to make a correct choice. Nonetheless, there are several criteria allowing to realize a direction to move forward and a figure on the pill that will reignite the fire and ardor in your bedroom.
Choosing the right dose depends on your previous experience with ED therapy. If you don’t take other RX medicines and don’t have obvious contraindications, initiating the therapy with 50 mg is a reasonable option. Moreover, this dose is suitable for most men.
Popularity of this dose is also associated with the fact that some men who consider 25mg poorly effective may substitute it with 50mg. In addition, takers of 100mg who have been distressed by adverse events may diminish a dosage.
25 mg is the choice of those who felt some discomfort from fifty milligrams, but could get a strong erection and high-quality sexual intercourse. However, all side effects are individual, so a dosage cannot utterly solve all problems.
There is a large category of men who perfectly tolerate all Viagra components, but for some reason do not get a stable result. If you’ve faced troubles with effectiveness, you may try 100 mg. Age and weight play a secondary role in choosing a dosage. These factors do not directly affect the effectiveness. Some age-related health conditions can affect the choice of treatment. However, this is associated not with the age per se, but with concomitant diseases and peculiarities of their treatment. The same goes for bodyweight. If an overweight man likes to eat a large amount of fatty foods before intercourse (supplementing it with alcohol), this can offset the effect of sildenafil. In this case, the problem occurs due to violation of recommendations for taking Viagra, not due to incorrectly selected dose.
